Service Costs

Hiya everyone. I am joining the world of the maxiscooter after riding bikes for 35+ years and at present still have my much loved Transalp that has offroaded, raced and toured all over Yurrup. The trouble is that my knee cartilage is starting to play up and I am going to give a scoot a go for a summer and see if that keeps me on 2 wheels, heck, i am only 53!

I have purchased a 2003 Swing, 10K on the clock and in super condition. I am hoping to get some serious miles in this summer (hasn't it started early!! ) and want to just run it around for a few hundred miles and get my head around no gears etc...!

It seems to me from browsing the net, that the bike will need a new belt around 12k miles or so, and as the bike is on 10K and is 8 years old, sooner rather than later may be wise? Will the pins need doing too, or is this a bit unecessary at 10K? I am tempted to do it myself, as I am happy fettling bikes (and farm machinery!) but just wonderd what the going rate for a dealer would be to do this job ie belt and pin change? I guess drop the oil too?

Any ideas or thoughts please?

Hello Steve and welcome!
I haven't a clue about costs but there's enough expertise on here to guide you through almost every job on the Silverwing.

steveR,

Welcome to the forum - enjoy the ride.

Hi Steve.

Belt change will set you back just under 200 quid at a dealer.

This will include the belt and one hours labour to fit.

Jamie.

Welcome Steve. As Mike eluded there is enough help on here to guide you through the majority of servicing on your new machine. JeffR, has some good pictorials and there is a link somewhere as to how to manufacture the Variator tool needed for a belt change.

Enjoy the forum, and look forward to hearing how the gearless world grabs you.

Waspie wrote:

Welcome Steve. As Mike eluded there is enough help on here to guide you through the majority of servicing on your new machine. JeffR, has some good pictorials and there is a link somewhere as to how to manufacture the Variator tool needed for a belt change.

Enjoy the forum, and look forward to hearing how the gearless world grabs you.

I saw that "walk-through", an excellent article indeed. I would be quite happy doing that job, I just need to source a torquewrench again, mine got "lent out" a long time ago.... Most bits of kit I work on I can take a fair guess at the setting from feel, but there is always the odd bolt or nut that you have to be accurate with!

I'm still a tad twitchy about the loss of gears as I have always found them to be pretty fundamental to enjoying riding a bike, I did grow up on 2 strokes though, where gear changing was a must! That and the ability to stand on the brakes hard into a really tight mountain bend... we'll see

JamieB wrote:

Hi Steve.

Belt change will set you back just under 200 quid at a dealer.

This will include the belt and one hours labour to fit.

Jamie.

Thanks for that Jamie. David Silver has an OEM belt for 80quid.... I reckon I can afford a torque wrench then to save the £120

Or to put it another way, 2 days worth of fuel on my way to Tuscany...

Welcome Steve.. here is a nice pictorial put up by JeffR ... the grandfather of this forum

https://www.silverwing600.com/t23-variator-and-belt-pictorial

MikeO wrote:

Hello Steve and welcome!
I haven't a clue about costs but there's enough expertise on here to guide you through almost every job on the Silverwing.

You sound like a banker Mike!!

I do like these dedicated forums, they are an excellent way of getting hold of and sharing some real expertise. The day that Honda slap a V-twin in the Swing, I'll be "yer man" and can then help out a bit...

Opalsboy wrote:

Welcome Steve.. here is a nice pictorial put up by JeffR ... the grandfather of this forum

https://www.silverwing600.com/t23-variator-and-belt-pictorial

It'll be dumped to a hard copy or a USB stick and taken out into the workshop! Good stuff.

jdeereanton wrote:

steveR,

Welcome to the forum - enjoy the ride.

Thanks Boss! As long as the sun shines and the road is dry, we all enjoy the ride....

steveR wrote:

Waspie wrote:

Welcome Steve. As Mike eluded there is enough help on here to guide you through the majority of servicing on your new machine. JeffR, has some good pictorials and there is a link somewhere as to how to manufacture the Variator tool needed for a belt change.

Enjoy the forum, and look forward to hearing how the gearless world grabs you.

I saw that "walk-through", an excellent article indeed. I would be quite happy doing that job, I just need to source a torquewrench again, mine got "lent out" a long time ago.... Most bits of kit I work on I can take a fair guess at the setting from feel, but there is always the odd bolt or nut that you have to be accurate with!

I'm still a tad twitchy about the loss of gears as I have always found them to be pretty fundamental to enjoying riding a bike, I did grow up on 2 strokes though, where gear changing was a must! That and the ability to stand on the brakes hard into a really tight mountain bend... we'll see

I think you may be pleasantly suprised with how versatile the 'Wing' is. The engine braking is awesome for an auto. I live on top a huge hill, (Portland - Dorset) and rarely use the brakes on the descent. Engine braking does all the work for me.

Acceleration is awesome too, It's easy to leave geared bikes standing when setting off from lights and such.

Opalsboy wrote:

JeffR ... the grandfather of this forum

Congratulations JeffR

Welcome Steve! The 2003 is a good vintage!

SteveR,

Welcome to the forum and I'm sure you will enjoy the SWing. Many of us rode motorcycles first and came to the SWing. As far as the belt..they last at least 16,000 miles and usually longer. But since it is 8 years old it may be good to change it just so you will feel peace of mind on long rides.

If you have a stock variator you won't need to replace the "pins" since the original variator has "rollers"..and they last at least 25,000 miles before they start to get flat spots. But if you want better acceleration there are a few things you can do that is really easy. The "Pictorial" I put in here is with the J. Costa variator.. and that thing will really give quite a bit more performance. But if you enjoy working on things the SWing is very easy to work on. I hope you will be an active member and if you have any questions at all please just ask and someone will know. And if you need any custom made stuff look for DennisB's topic in the main forum.

As for Opalsboy, aka Gary...calling me the "Grandfather of the forum" !!! Didn't I just ban you last week.

Welcome to the forum. Shifting gears is easy to leave behind. Just don't pull in on that clutch. :lol!:

"Hi Yo" wrote:

Welcome to the forum. Shifting gears is easy to leave behind. Just don't pull in on that clutch. :lol!:

To be honest, I can almost deal with that, it is the complete loss of motive power to the rear wheel when the revs drop that I find the most weird thing at present! I am used to being able to trickle in traffic on a trail bike I also find the linked braking a bit strange and do wonder... Why?

JeffR wrote:

SteveR,

Welcome to the forum and I'm sure you will enjoy the SWing. Many of us rode motorcycles first and came to the SWing. As far as the belt..they last at least 16,000 miles and usually longer. But since it is 8 years old it may be good to change it just so you will feel peace of mind on long rides.

Indeed, good advice I feel, some fresh rubber may well be in order, as thos fitted while thay have plenty of tread, feel tired.

Quote :

If you have a stock variator you won't need to replace the "pins" since the original variator has "rollers"..and they last at least 25,000 miles before they start to get flat spots. But if you want better acceleration there are a few things you can do that is really easy.

I hope you will be an active member and if you have any questions at all please just ask and someone will know. And if you need any custom made stuff look for DennisB's topic in the main forum.

Good to know the stock rollers are Ok for a bit Acceleration seems OK, less than my Transalp, but fine. As for being active, the problem can be shutting me up if I get on a roll.... As for DennisB's gear, a Garmin mount will be ordered before the weekend, a better back rest looks a good idea too to support the lumbar region a bit more, but that can wait a fortnight ot three

steveR wrote:

To be honest, I can almost deal with that, it is the complete loss of motive power to the rear wheel when the revs drop that I find the most weird thing at present! I am used to being able to trickle in traffic on a trail bike I also find the linked braking a bit strange and do wonder... Why?

The apparent power loss to the rear wheel when decelerating become intuitive after a short while and a small adjustment to the throttle position normally compensates. To be honest I find the 'Wing' really easy to 'trickle' through slow traffic. (I have to do it most days so I suppose it's a skill I have had to perfect, ). As for linked brakes, can't comment, not really known any thing else!!!!

Adapting to a new riding style must be strange, I have never known geared bikes so cannot comment upon it at all. It took me a few weeks to get used to the 'Wing' after the Suzuki Burgman.

[quote="Waspie"]

steveR wrote:

As for linked brakes, can't comment, not really known any thing else!!!!

Adapting to a new riding style must be strange, I have never known geared bikes so cannot comment upon it at all. It took me a few weeks to get used to the 'Wing' after the Suzuki Burgman.

Totally new style of riding really from my small run outs! Auto is fine, but the handling is..... weirdly different. The Swing seems to want to understeer in corners and go straight on and needs to be really pushed down, but that may well be a result of my riding big, tall bikes with wide bars that I can really push down and of course, there is no tank between the knees which add to the ease of cornering a bike!

My Swing is not a nice ride, but I suspect that the present suspension and tyres may not be setup quite right. The bike has a big givi screen and a big top box, and neither will improve handling I would say... They don't on any bike! I do have the honda screen and may try it and see if it is better???

14 stone rider, solo, which rear shock setting is optimal? The front is a wee bit harsh and possibly lacks damping which may mean fresh oil is needed, this looks a big job with a lot of plastic to remove? I will have a look in the forum guides for this one.

steveR wrote:

14 stone rider, solo, which rear shock setting is optimal?

I am currently about the same weight, (although Mrs Waspie has something in mind about that I fear).

As for rear suspension setting. I have found setting 5, (hard) suits my style and road conditions round here. I like to throw the bike around in the corners and such. My car has sport suspension and it too is a hard ride but I like it that way.

I experimented for a while starting at setting 3 then bumped it up to 4 finally settling on 5 which I found the best all round setting for me. The stainless adjusting ring can be easily changed with a gloved hand if your a softy like me or the C spanner supplied in the tool kit works equally as well.

I don't like top boxes for C of G reasons and have the Givi Airflow screen which I can alter depending on conditions. The stock screen was fine regards manouvering, it was just a tad noisy around the helmet area.

The 'Wing' is the best scoot I have ridden as far as cornering is concerned, it lends itself nicely to counter steering as it allows you to lean and counter steer with little or no effort from the rider. The narrow handlebar arrangement took a while to adjust to but again only a matter of weeks and the previous ride had been forgotten.

Waspie wrote:

steveR wrote:

14 stone rider, solo, which rear shock setting is optimal?

I am currently about the same weight, (although Mrs Waspie has something in mind about that I fear).

As for rear suspension setting. I have found setting 5, (hard) suits my style and road conditions round here. I like to throw the bike around in the corners and such. My car has sport suspension and it too is a hard ride but I like it that way.



The 'Wing' is the best scoot I have ridden as far as cornering is concerned, it lends itself nicely to counter steering as it allows you to lean and counter steer with little or no effort from the rider. The narrow handlebar arrangement took a while to adjust to but again only a matter of weeks and the previous ride had been forgotten.

I think your final para is spot on and it will take me a few weeks to bed down, the narrow bars are part and parcel of it all. I reckon I need a bit more leg room, so I'll look into removing the bum stop and swap it for a back rest instead.

I will go over the bike with an eagle eye and check all the settings are spot on, tyre pressures etc. I have been caught out in the past with a garage airline being miles out and carry my own gauge... I'll try a run without the box, as like you I feel they are not good news. On the Transalp, I do have one, but rarely use it as it buggers up the handling badly, when on big trips, I tend to want the rear rack for a tent and drysac for sleeping gear anyway, all nice and light stuff.

I know what you mean about a little bit of excessive baggage and I have also had the odd remark about spare tyres around the middle.... I responded with a comment about pots and kettles, and left the room.... FAST!

I tend to want the rear rack for a tent and drysac for sleeping gear

Guess what! DennisB makes a very tasty 'luggage-mounting' device specially for the Silverwing.
I haven't got one but I've no doubt it's the same excellent quality as the rest of his bespoke products.

Here:

https://www.silverwing600.com/t85-cargo-fastening-system-for-the-silverwing

MikeO wrote:

I tend to want the rear rack for a tent and drysac for sleeping gear

Guess what! DennisB makes a very tasty 'luggage-mounting' device specially for the Silverwing.
I haven't got one but I've no doubt it's the same excellent quality as the rest of his bespoke products.

A nice bit of kit again.

Far too sophisticated for a simple farmer though! On my Transalp, I use a piece of plywood bolted to the rack which sits as far forward as possible to bring the weight over the wheel, and this has rings fitted to it to allow bungie cords to hold my tent, camping seat and drybag in one neat solid bundle. I guess the word "neat" is actually an agricultural term for practical

[quote="steveR"]

Waspie wrote:

steveR wrote:

As for linked brakes, can't comment, not really known any thing else!!!!

Adapting to a new riding style must be strange, I have never known geared bikes so cannot comment upon it at all. It took me a few weeks to get used to the 'Wing' after the Suzuki Burgman.

Totally new style of riding really from my small run outs! Auto is fine, but the handling is..... weirdly different. The Swing seems to want to understeer in corners and go straight on and needs to be really pushed down, but that may well be a result of my riding big, tall bikes with wide bars that I can really push down and of course, there is no tank between the knees which add to the ease of cornering a bike!

My Swing is not a nice ride, but I suspect that the present suspension and tyres may not be setup quite right. The bike has a big givi screen and a big top box, and neither will improve handling I would say... They don't on any bike! I do have the honda screen and may try it and see if it is better???

14 stone rider, solo, which rear shock setting is optimal? The front is a wee bit harsh and possibly lacks damping which may mean fresh oil is needed, this looks a big job with a lot of plastic to remove? I will have a look in the forum guides for this one.

I joined the small crowd of riders who have swapped their front springs for HyperPro springs. I had a local independent mechanic do the work, and he was able to do it without removing any of the plastic. Remember, the Silverwing only has a single triple clamp, which you can see from underneath.

I feel the spring swap was a very good enhancement of the bike. I took it on a 150 mile ride a few weeks ago (a week after getting the fork done), and tracking was much improved. It was considerably easier to maintain the curve than before - I used to have problems with weaving in the turns that I thought was my inexperience.

Another note - when the rear tire (tyre to you!) gets worn, handling is much worse. I have worn out two back tires and noted how poor the handling seemed just before installing new rubber.

I weigh 175 lbs. and have tried the rear springs between 2 and 5. I like it best at 3 with the new fork springs, and 3 or 4 with the original fork springs. To adjust, put the Swing on it's centerstand and you should be able to do it by (gloved) hand.

If you want more legroom, and/or a backrest look here
http://leroybeal.net/motorcycles/silverwing/silverwing.htm
then look at his 'Articles and How To" section for the backrest conversion. Tremendously comfortable set up!

Hope you get comfortable on the new ride. Most people that try it find its benefits far outweigh its drawbacks.

buddy19520 wrote:

I feel the spring swap was a very good enhancement of the bike. I took it on a 150 mile ride a few weeks ago (a week after getting the fork done), and tracking was much improved. It was considerably easier to maintain the curve than before - I used to have problems with weaving in the turns that I thought was my inexperience.

Another note - when the rear tire (tyre to you!) gets worn, handling is much worse. I have worn out two back tires and noted how poor the handling seemed just before installing new rubber.

If you want more legroom, and/or a backrest look here
http://leroybeal.net/motorcycles/silverwing/silverwing.htm
then look at his 'Articles and How To" section for the backrest conversion. Tremendously comfortable set up!

Hope you get comfortable on the new ride. Most people that try it find its benefits far outweigh its drawbacks.

Thanks for the excellent advice and pointers Philip. Very interesting site you linked to with some excellent stuff in it. Loved the cheapie mod for teh seat... I reckon I can find a bit of 1" flat bar somewhere in the workshop

I found the article on the procedure to remove the rear wheel a revelation....!! Sheesh, what a nightmare that procedure is So what do people when on a trip?? That does not look like a roadside job I'll make sure my breakdown insurance is up to scratch...

I modded the suspension on my Transalp 18months ago to sharpen up the bike especially when carrying a big rear load, better rear shock was the best mod, the uprated fork springs and new oil, I was less happy with, as it messed up the smooth ride. This bike was VERY sensitive to worn tyres, and I routinely swapped the front with loads of wear still on it as it was so unstable, rear a bit less so, but 4-5K miles was good on the rear, not that wonderful for a 5hp bike!

JamieB wrote:

Hi Steve.

Belt change will set you back just under 200 quid at a dealer.

This will include the belt and one hours labour to fit.

Jamie.

Belt ordered from David Silver. A little job for a rainy day, certainly before I go to Europe anyway

Hi everyone, Got my Swing a month ago for the fair price of £1300, non abs 04 plate. Very high miles at 67500, but she sounds and runs lovely. Previously I only had a couple of piaggio 125 scooters, so the first thing I did with the silverwing is to give it guns on the A13 into London. Fantastic handling and throttle response, but I did notice a small backfire on down throttle, not enough to write home about, but I have also noticed a very small oil leak which is finally dripping from I think an engine guard or mount right next to the oil filter, but its not coming from the filter. I am keeping an eye on the levels, and i'm not losing too much, just an irritation. I'm guessing its most likely the rocker cover.
My question is has anyone removed enough panels to do a similar inspection, and if so what method and which panels? I was going to start with the rear leg peg panels and possible start to remove the seat to get above the engine.
Any help that is sent my way will be very respectfully received, and I will keep you all posted with the progress of the job.

Kindest Regards and safe driving.

Liam

Hi Liam,

Welcome to the Forum. I changed my own oil and filter on my Swing and noticed that the bottom engine guard had a problem catching and holding a little bit of the drained oil from the crankcase. This does drip off after a while and does look like an oil leak. My advice is clean her up real good and run her for a little while and see where the oil is coming from before taking her all apart...Unless you just want to.

How long since the scooters last oil change?

Hi Liam,

Welcome from another newbie here in the UK! I also only just got my Silverwing and am also in the London areas (SW18).

You'll like this forum...they guys are great and the knowledge base is fantastic! If you haven't seen it already, check out Dennis' shop...some nice toys, especially if you wish to have gps for your way around london!

Would be great to see some pics mate!...

Oli

steveR wrote:

I found the article on the procedure to remove the rear wheel a revelation....!! Sheesh, what a nightmare that procedure is So what do people when on a trip?? That does not look like a roadside job I'll make sure my breakdown insurance is up to scratch.

Steve, I did a dry run on rear wheel removal and it's not as hard or complicated as it appears. The dry run was an exercise well worth the time and effort.

Once the xuast is removed access to the rest is easy and accessible. (Certainly easier than my Burgman).

Waspie wrote:

Steve, I did a dry run on rear wheel removal and it's not as hard or complicated as it appears. The dry run was an exercise well worth the time and effort.

Once the xuast is removed access to the rest is easy and accessible. (Certainly easier than my Burgman).

I did a similiar operation a couple of weeks ago, ready for some new rubber, now on order... As you say, not hard, just a rather involved task!!

A lot easier on a bike:)

Even with a chain!!!!

I removed mine the other week for a new tyre....leroybeales tutorial in a printed booklet..... but had difficulty in disconnecting the O2 sensor (only on recent machines 2009/10). I managed to get some slack in the cable by easing the side panel out, but could not fathom out how to get the connector off the frame to disconnect it. Anyone had a go yet?

Waspie wrote:

Even with a chain!!!!

No probs, I always use a split link!! Mind, most bikes I have owned would allow the chain to be left on the swinging arm, out of the way.

Thanks for the warm welcome Oli.

No need for picture mate, because if thats a picture of your bike, snap. Mine is identical. The sat nav is high on my agenda.

oli18 wrote:

Hi Liam,

Welcome from another newbie here in the UK! I also only just got my Silverwing and am also in the London areas (SW18).

You'll like this forum...they guys are great and the knowledge base is fantastic! If you haven't seen it already, check out Dennis' shop...some nice toys, especially if you wish to have gps for your way around london!

Would be great to see some pics mate!...

Oli

Looking for info regarding Servicing schedules. 2011 Silverwing 600cc Present mileage 2000 aprox. First M.O.T due 2014 i think ?

All servicings up to date by Honda. Led to believe that another service might be due round about now. Any help on this one would be appreciated.As its still under warranty need to be sure i have got it right.
Many thanks.

buzzrt Chippenham Wiltshire UK

Services are scheduled every 4k miles. Belt change, major £££££'s is at 16k miles.

Also, as it's still under warranty, Honda will and do extend the original warranty, (for a price of course). I did on mine, has the same perks as the original, AA cover etc. Have a look at Honda UK's web site for info.

I've booked mine into my local dealer in the UK for 16,000 mile service. It's gonna cost me £450 all in, including new belt, checking valve clearances, etc

rogerscoot wrote:

I've booked mine into my local dealer in the UK for 16,000 mile service. It's gonna cost me £450 all in, including new belt, checking valve clearances, etc

Just had my 16k service. About £350 inc. belt change.

Waspie wrote:

rogerscoot wrote:

I've booked mine into my local dealer in the UK for 16,000 mile service. It's gonna cost me £450 all in, including new belt, checking valve clearances, etc

Just had my 16k service. About £350 inc. belt change.

Was this at a Honda dealer?

rogerscoot wrote:

Waspie wrote:

rogerscoot wrote:

I've booked mine into my local dealer in the UK for 16,000 mile service. It's gonna cost me £450 all in, including new belt, checking valve clearances, etc

Just had my 16k service. About £350 inc. belt change.

Was this at a Honda dealer?

Honda 'Agent'! (Tilleys - Weymouth)

To date this bike has had 2 services. First one at 600 miles. No 2 service was carried out when it was sold to me. I have to assume these servicings were done on time rather than miles run. Many thanks for your input.

Roger. I wouldn't take my bike to them if I didn't trust the mechanics. Been using them for years and whilst they have been known to give some the run around they play straight with me as I have a sharp tongue when needed!!!!!

They have supplied and serviced my last three machines.

It's not a big community down here and added to that the storeman lives three doors away I tend to be treated well.

rogerscoot, at 16000mls you don't need to have valves checking it's a HONDA. I have had my Silverwing just over 2yrs and always do my own servicing. My bike had 1380mls on it when i got it . I now have 25,367mls up and have just done the 24,000ml service.Honestly all that needs doing is ,oil and filter change at 16000mls plus spark plugs( i would recommend fitting Iridium plugs as they last 40-50 000mls so iam told), I put Iridium plugs in at 16000mls and just check the gap at normal service times. Changing the "V" belt again is not that big a deal. I cannot for the life of me understand why people pay hundreds of pounds for a simple sevice job that takes no more than a couple of hours.

Old Limey wrote:

(...) I cannot for the life of me understand why people pay hundreds of pounds for a simple sevice job that takes no more than a couple of hours.

I fully agree. After breaking a couple of vertebrae, I no longer service my car myself, but on my SWing it did manage to change all of the fluids myself, and put new plugs an filters in. I also repared the rear brake caliper, where a clip had come loose. It took me a lot more time than it would if my back had been OK. But I spread it over a couple of 30-45 minute jobs. It took me about a week this way, inclusive cleaning the scoot. (There was no hurry, as I was waiting for the registration to arrive)
It was a real boost for my self-esteem:
1) I no longer felt like a 'handicapped'
2) I knew everything on the list had been done (thouroughly)
3) I saved a couple of euros in labour

As a bonus, working on your own motor helps you to understand how it works.

Old Limey wrote:

I cannot for the life of me understand why people pay hundreds of pounds for a simple sevice job that takes no more than a couple of hours.

For me, it's simply I have the extended 4 year warranty. Now I ain't wasting the warranty just because I can't wait to throw the odd spanner at Mr Honda's machine!!!!

Said in the best possible way!! (Crosses legs provocatively!!!)

b.t.w. how's your leg, Waspie?